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Schedule a meeting now! Get advice from our admission expert Katharina. Request a spot in our meeting hub and we will call you back!
Refer a friend - Save 100€! Refer a friend, enroll together for this summer school, and save both 100 Euro! Refer a friend!
Schedule a meeting now! Get advice from our admission expert Katharina. Request a spot in our meeting hub and we will call you back!
Refer a friend - Save 100€! Refer a friend, enroll together for this summer school, and save both 100 Euro! Refer a friend!
Schedule a meeting now! Get advice from our admission expert Katharina. Request a spot in our meeting hub and we will call you back!
Refer a friend - Save 100€! Refer a friend, enroll together for this summer school, and save both 100 Euro! Refer a friend!
Students Budget Living Cost in Bali : A Simple Insight
So you have decided to do your next semester in Bali, and the next question proves to be the most important one: how much do I need to prepare the budget? Well, the cost of living in Bali, just like in any other city / country, will depend on your lifestyle, but nevertheless, it will definitely be way more affordable to live on the island than in most established metropolitan cities. Here we would like to break down a bit of the quintessential daily living cost in Bali.
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Photo by Linda Hides
Accommodation for students
Finding a place to live in Bali is actually quite easy, but also challenging at the same time. There are plenty of options on prices, locations and facilities you can pick according to your budget. Our upskill team has also prepared an extensive list of housing recommendations for our students, ranging from low-budget to more luxurious options with prices starting from IDR 4,000,000 a month. You would usually offer a cheaper rental fee if you plan to stay longer. Always consider the location as well, as the closer your lodging is to the beach / popular area, the higher the rent would be. Always consider additional cost for mineral water, laundry, wi-fi or electricity too, because some places would require additional cost of facilities listed above.
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Visa
It is confirmed that you will be spending at least 16 weeks studying in Udayana university, this means whether you are a C316 visa holder or B211A visa holder, visa fees must be as well counted in your budgeting plan when deciding to study in Bali. If you have obtained a student visa (C316) you will not be required to extend the visa as the visa has already covered your 180 days of stay for more or less 250 Euro. If you have obtained the B211A social culture visa, you will need to extend the visa once or twice depending on your plan to stay in the country. The social culture visa’s extension costs IDR 2,700,000 for another 60 days of permit stay. Both visas have their own perks, the main difference is the length of time required and documents to obtain and how much it costs and whether you have the time to obtain the visa. For early bird students who join our semester program, C316 would be advisable, as this requires more documents to be submitted compared to the B211A. Social culture visa/B211A is advised for last minute applicants who have limited time to process the permit. Read more about visas for Indonesia, here and consult our coordinators.
Transport
Considering public transport in general is still currently quite lacking in Bali, renting a vehicle is the best way to get around and about in the island. The more affordable option would be to rent a motorcycle, which costs from IDR 80,000 per day for a 125cc type of scooter. As usual, you can haggle for a lower price depending on your length of stay. In general, automatic scooter rental per 2022 price is starting from IDR 1,000,000 per month. But of course everything depends on where you rent, the location of the rental company, how old the vehicle is, how big the engine is and so on and so forth. The fuel price in Indonesia is relatively affordable, but there are currently some adjustments from the government that make the price go up quite significantly. But you would still be looking at not more than IDR 70,000 per day for fuel if you are riding a motorbike, except if you plan to go on a trip around the island daily (which we wouldn't suggest at all...lol). Renting a car could be an easier, safer and more comfortable option, but it would be quite costly, especially for students who plan to do a semester abroad. The average price of renting a car in Bali starts from IDR 300,000 (without driver), and IDR 750,000 (with driver). Another great option would be to use the handy online transport apps (Gojek / Grab) which offer substantially cheaper fees to go around; ranging from IDR 15,000 for bike and IDR 25,000 for car depending on the distance. Finally, you must possess an international drivers license to be able to rent and ride motor vehicles in Indonesia.
Meals
How much you spend on food in Bali may highly depend on your lifestyle and eating habits. We strongly encourage you to try and familiarize yourself with local cuisines for your daily dine for two main reasons: the fascination of first-hand experience of living like a local on your semester abroad in Bali, and it cost WAY a lot more affordable. As an international tourism destination, Bali has quite the world-class exquisite dining or European cuisine, but it would be advisable to set your sights on local 'warungs' or small restaurants serving authentic Indonesian meals. You might be worried about getting 'Bali Belly', and that's understandable, but nowadays there are many warungs on the island that ensure their cleanliness and quality to cater international tourists. A portion of an Indonesian complete meal in local warung starts from merely IDR 12,000 and it already consists of rice, vegetables, meat in a satisfying portion. For drinks, you can bring your own water, or order ‘es teh manis' (sweet ice tea) or 'es teh tawar' (unsweetened ice tea) for around IDR 5,000 per glass. Try to learn some basic Bahasa (Indonesian language) as well, it is proven to be an effective haggling tool! Yes, you will get the basic Indonesian Language subject during your semester abroad in Udayana university and best to practice is getting your favorite meals!
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By Billy Bagus